Highs for hemp: Victory Hemp Foods partners with Applied Food Sciences

20 Mar 2020 --- Victory Hemp Foods has entered into a strategic partnership with Applied Food Sciences (AFS) to “dramatically expand” the range of products in which hemp grains can be used as ingredients. AFS is an ingredient supplier specializing in botanical extracts for food, beverages and supplements and is a supply partner with several leading food and beverage brands. The move will push hemp as a protein source and taps into the surging popularity of plant-based ingredients, particularly proteins, driven by health and eco-conscious consumers. 

Victory Hemp’s collaboration with AFS will elevate sales and marketing for their food and beverage ingredients, including their two proprietary ingredients, V-70 Hemp Heart Protein and V-ONE Hemp Heart Oil, which will launch at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Conference scheduled for July. 

These two new ingredients deliver the “nutritional excellence found in hemp” while providing neutral flavor and color and unique formulation characteristics that solve challenges for formulators across a broad range of product applications.

Realizing the potential of hemp
Hemp is gained high importance due to its reported nutritional benefits. Hemp seeds are particularly marketed as a “superfood” due to their high omega 3 and 6 content and highly digestible protein comprising all essential amino acids.

Hemp-derived ingredients have been making waves recently and the global hemp-based food market is expected to grow significantly in the years ahead, indicating that the hemp trend is going mainstream. New product launches are increasingly driven by categories such as snacks, energy bars, beverages, breakfast cereals, bakery products and as sauces and seasonings. 

Hemp also serves as a general flavor profile in a range of product end uses, including snacks such as protein bars and candies as well as baked goods and beverages.

“As hemp continues to earn a more significant role in US agriculture and the demand for plant-based proteins continues to rise, we recognize the opportunity to develop new ingredients that can fully utilize the industrial hemp plant to deliver novel high protein ingredients,” says Loretta Zapp, CEO of Applied Food Sciences.

“We are excited to partner with Victory Hemp Foods. We believe in their leadership, vision and expertise in processing hemp seed and admire their deep commitment to this agricultural endeavor. We are excited about the team’s proven ability to design ingredients from the hemp heart that have a compelling taste and notable formulation advantages. AFS is looking forward to bringing V-70 Hemp Heart Protein and V-ONE Hemp Heart Oil to market,” she adds. 

Hemp cultivation 
Victory Hemp Foods says it will purchase one million acres worth of hemp by 2030 to help hemp become the next major US crop. 

“This partnership will allow Victory Hemp to apply all of our focus and resources on developing processing infrastructure and building a healthy supply chain as we work together to bring hemp back to the front row in American agriculture,” says Victory Hemp Founder and CEO, Chad Rosen.

The partnership allows Victory Hemp Foods to tap into the AFS Innovation Center at the University of Iowa's Bio-Ventures Research Park. This center develops novel, natural and organic ingredients that are highly scientifically qualified, non-GMO and Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). One of the primary goals here is to help foster the growth of plant-based science; develop solutions for such foods; and examine how the evolution of food fits into the current and future food supply.

Nutrition in a hemp shell
V-70 Hemp Heart Protein makes hemp an appropriate protein for a wide set of uses while V-70 Hemp Heart Protein has high water binding capacity. It is not fully water-soluble but emulsifies well, notes the Victory Hemp. “V–70 Hemp Heart Protein concentrates the protein of the hemp heart into “a sensory and nutrition winner,” according to the company.

From dairy and meat analogs to nutrition drink powders, this hemp protein is marketed as delivering complete plant-based protein with uniquely functional flavor, nutrition and other critical characteristics. 

Victory ONE Hemp Heart Oil offers a combination of functional, flavor and nutritional attributes valuable for culinary uses as well as skincare. 

By Gaynor Selby